With Death Comes Hope
by spottedsky
Summary: In a battle, a young apprentice is captured and taken hostage. Only by finding who she truly loves can get her back to her Clan. Meanwhile, Tigerstar is getting stronger, and time for StarClan is running out quickly.
1. Prologue

**With Death Comes Hope**

**Prologue**

"I have come, Bluestar," mewed a tiny tortoiseshell she-cat. "What do you want?"

"You know very well why you are here, Spottedkit," Bluestar pointed out. "Now we must show you something."

The blue-gray she-cat walked over to a pool, where another tortoiseshell she-cat was standing. She muttered something to the tortoiseshell, whose name was apparently Spottedleaf, then touched her nose to the pool.

"Watch," Bluestar ordered Spottedkit. The young cat did as she was told. To Spottedkit's astonishment, an image formed in the pool. She watched as it showed four leaders standing on the branches of the Great Tree she had heard of that was on the Island. With a jolt of horror, Spottedkit recognized the four cats. They were her and her littermates. A voice spoke in her head as the vision changed into a field stained with blood and littered with bodies: _Willows waving in the breeze, ripples on clouds, splashed pelts, and spotted skies will bring new power. These are the only things that can either save, or destroy us all._

* * *

The screeches of pain turned to howls of victory as ThunderClan retreated from the battle. The remaining warriors struggled back to their camps. WindClan had won the battle. ThunderClan were ashamed.

As they were going home, a young ThunderClan apprentice strayed away from her group. All of the sudden, a huge tabby tom blocked her path.

"Where do you think you're going?" he growled. A few more warriors surrounded her, cutting off every escape route. The young tabby and white she-cat was terrified.

"Come on, Leaftail. Let's get her back to camp. Then we can finish off Ashfoot, and Onestar will make you deputy!" a black she-cat hissed.

"The apprentice can hear you, Nightcloud!" a brown and white tom warned.

"I'm not stupid, Harespring!!! And she's too terrified to do anything anyway!" Nightcloud snarled.

"She's got a point!" a dark gray she-cat added.

"Let's just go now before anyone notices we're gone," a black tom hissed.

"I agree with Breezepelt. Let's just go," Leaftail concluded. "Breezepelt, Swallowtail, you guard the apprentice. What's your name young one?"

"M-my na-name is Ivyp-p-paw," the apprentice stuttered.

"Well Ivypaw, when I become leader I'm going to make you a WindClan warrior. But first you must learn to be a WindClan cat. I'll ask Onestar if Breezepelt can train you," Leaftail told her.

"Why me?" Breezepelt complained.

Just then, some barking sounded nearby.

At the same time, all of the WindClan cats there whispered, "The dogs!!!"


	2. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Breezepelt was hunting. The rabbit he had tried to catch earlier had gotten away, and now he couldn't find another. The reason he had missed the rabbit was that he couldn't get the image of that beautiful tabby and white apprentice, Ivypaw, out of his mind. Breezepelt thought he loved Heathertail, but it was clear she would never love him like she loved Lionblaze. Every cat in WindClan knew that she still loved Lionblaze, even if she wouldn't admit it. _She-cats! _he thought. _I'll never understand them!_ All of the sudden Breezepelt realized that he was supposed to be training Ivypaw. He got up and ran back to the camp, then started looking for the little apprentice.

* * *

"Has anyone seen Ivypaw?" Cinderheart yowled. She, Whitewing, Birchfall, and Dovepaw were starting to get very anxious. They hadn't seen Ivypaw since the battle. That was a moon ago! Everyone had been too injured to look for one ThunderClan cat individually.

"Cloudtail!" Brambleclaw, the deputy, ordered. "Take a patrol to WindClan, and if she's not there, follow her scent. Cinderheart, Lionblaze, Dovepaw, Mousewhisker, and Foxleap, you go with him."

Immediately, the patrol set out, desperate to find the young apprentice.

* * *

"Jump, duck, roll, swipe- what's wrong, Ivypaw?" Breezepelt asked as they attempted battle training.

"Nothing. Keep going," Ivypaw muttered sadly.

"What is it? I know something's wrong," Breezepelt pointed out.

"It's just that nobody thinks I'm pretty. Everyone ignores me, and pays attention to fluffy, adorable Dovepaw!" Ivypaw wailed.

"I think you're pretty," Breezepelt soothed.

"You do?" Ivypaw breathed.

"Yep," he answered.

"What about Heathertail?" Ivypaw questioned.

"Everyone knows she doesn't really love me," Breezepelt murmured sadly.

Without warning, Ivypaw leaned against him, closed her eyes, and purred contentedly. Breezepelt purred too. He had finally found a cat willing to be his mate because she loved him, not to prove her loyalty. For once, Breezepelt was finally happy.


	3. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

"JAYFEATHER! COME QUICKLY!" Lionblaze yowled as Hazeltail wailed in the nursery.

Lionblaze's brother (Jayfeather) was at his side instantly.

"Is Hazeltail kitting?" Jayfeather asked. Lionblaze nodded anxiously. Hazeltail was his first mate, and now she was having his first litter of kits. As Lionblaze was pacing in front of the nursery, he got tired, curled up and tried to go to sleep.

* * *

Inside the nursery, Jayfeather was doing his best to keep Hazeltail alive. She was going to have a large litter. He could tell. The first kit slid out. Daisy told him what it looked like. It was a white tom with small black spots. Then another tiny bundle came. Daisy said she was smaller than her brother, and was a silver tabby with white paws and a black tipped tail. And then the next kit came. Daisy said it was a silvery-gray she-kit with white paws. And the last. Jayfeather gasped. When Daisy told him what the kit looked like, Jayfeather noticed that it must be beautiful, for it looked just like Spottedleaf, the old ThunderClan medicine cat (who was the prettiest cat ever in the Clans). The kit was a tortoiseshell she-cat with white paws, a white dot on her chest, and a black tipped tail.

"The tom will be Splashkit," Hazeltail mewed as Lionblaze came in. "The bigger silver tabby will be Ripplekit.

"How about Willowkit for the other silver tabby?" Lionblaze suggested.

"Perfect!" Hazeltail purred. "And the tortoiseshell… Spottedkit!"

Jayfeather gasped again. This was definitely not a coincidence!


	4. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

Spottedkit laughed as her brother, Splashkit, thudded onto the ground next to her sister, Ripplekit. Spottedkit had been watching her two playful littermates, while she relaxed on a rock in the sun.

"Missed me!" Ripplekit teased. Splashkit's black and white fur turned red when he realized he had missed so badly.

"Darn it!!! I thought I had-"

"Hey, Ripplekit!" meowed one of the ThunderClan warriors, Bumblestripe. "Dovepaw and Ivypaw aregetting their warrior names today!"

Everyone in the Clan knew that Bumblestripe liked Ripplekit.

"And **we're** getting to be apprentices today!" Ripplekit retorted. Obviously, she didn't like him.

"Good job, Bumblestripe. I can't believe you finally delivered a message to us!," Spottedkit praised.

"You like Bumblestripe! You like Bumblestripe!" Splashkit yowled.

"No I don't!" Spottedkit hissed. "He's just my friend!"

"Let all cats old enough to catch their own prey gather beneath the Highledge for a Clan meeting!" Firestar called. Spottedkit could hardly hold in her excitement. _Wait until they find out my secret! _she thought.

Firestar raised his head and spoke: "Today we have two new warriors to make, and four new apprentices, too. But first, I must share the terrifying news that Icecloud was captured by a fox and taken to its den."

The whole Clan, including Spottedkit, gasped in dismay, yowling in fright. The loudest were from Ferncloud, Dustpelt, and Foxleap. Then a voice rose above the noise, which Spottedkit recognized as Mousewhisker's.

"But we haven't seen her dead yet!!! I'm not giving up until I find her, and I won't believe she's dead until I see her dead myself!!!"

Mousewhisker's words were greeted with cheers and yowls of agreement. Icecloud was a popular cat, and everyone could see that Mousewhisker liked her.

Suddenly, a scream sounded from the nursery. Spottedkit realized with a jolt of horror that Rosepetal must be having her kits! Foxleap, her mate, flew into the nursery.

By now everyone knew what was happening. In moments Jayfeather was there, but he had an expression of terror on his face.

Spottedkit rushed up to the nursery. When Hazeltail's milk hadn't come, Rosepetal had been the one to nurse Spottedkit, Willowkit, Splashkit, and Ripplekit. She was afraid that the look on Jayfeather's face meant that he didn't think Rosepetal would survive her kitting.

Rosepetal screamed again, and Spottedkit squeezed into the nursery without being noticed. She watched as a ripple passed through Rosepetal's body, and then saw a tiny kit slither out onto the nursery floor. The same thing happened again, then started for a third time. But this time was different. Before it had happened Spottedkit had thought:_ Something's wrong!!!!!! _And she was right. The ripple stopped halfway, and Rosepetal had begun shaking. The kit wasn't coming out!

Without thinking, Spottedkit wriggled out of the nursery and sped for the medicine cat's den. She got there and grabbed some birthwort, ragwort, wormwood, and witch hazel. Spottedkit brought it to the nursery just in time, for Rosepetal had just about run out of strength. She shoved the herbs in Jayfeather's face and watched. He gave her a confused look, which Spottedkit understood. Leafpool hadn't taught Jayfeather how to use these herbs yet! She snatched them back and started treating Rosepetal.

When Spottedkit was done, there lay one more kit lying on the ground. She began licking it, and after a while the tiny she-cat opened her huge, bright blue eyes. Spottedkit explained to Jayfeather that the oldest, a tom, was a black with a white spot on his chest, white paws, and dark greenish-blue eyes, the second youngest, a she-cat, was white with silver flecks and blue eyes, and the youngest, also a she-cat, was a shining white with light blue eyes.

"They're beautiful!" Foxleap gasped in awe.

Rosepetal sat up and thought.

"Let's name the tom Ravenkit," she decided.

"The older she-cat…Frostkit?" Foxleap suggested. Rosepetal nodded.

"What if we name the tiny one after your sister?" Rosepetal asked Foxleap. "What if we call her Icekit?"

Foxleap nodded, and Spottedkit saw him look outside and up at the sky. She knew Foxleap was touched by the idea.

"Come here, everyone!!!" Firestar yowled to his Clan. "Back to the ceremonies. First I would like to make the two new warriors. Dovepaw and Ivypaw, please step forward. Cinderheart, Lionblaze, do you think your apprentices are ready to become warriors?"

The two warriors nodded.

"I, Firestar, leader of ThunderClan, call upon my warrior ancestors to look down upon these two apprentices. They have trained hard to understand the ways of your noble code and I commend them to you as warriors in their turn. Dovepaw, Ivypaw, do you promise to uphold the warrior code and protect and defend your Clan, even at the cost of your lives?" Firestar asked.

"I do!" Dovepaw squeaked.

"I do," Ivypaw vowed, emotion brimming in her expression.

"Then by the powers of StarClan, I give you your warrior names. Dovepaw, from now on you will be known as Dovewing. StarClan honor your enthusiasm and hunting skill and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan. Ivypaw, from this moment on you will be known as Ivyleaf. StarClan honor your bravery and friendliness and welcome you as a full warrior of ThunderClan," Firestar announced. "Now, you must keep a silent vigil over the camp." Firestar turned to the kits.

Then Firestar continued: "I am pleased to say that Spottedkit, Willowkit, Splashkit, and Ripplekit have reached their sixth moon. By naming apprentices, we show that ThunderClan will survive and remain strong. Splashkit, from now on until you earn your warrior name you will be known as Splashpaw. Toadstep, you have not yet had an apprentice, so you will be Splashpaw's mentor. Ripplekit, from this moment on until you earn your warrior name you will be known as Ripplepaw. Mousewhisker, you are a skilled cat. I hope you will pass on all you know to Ripplepaw. Willowkit, from now on until you earn your warrior name you will be known as Willowpaw. Whitewing, you will be her mentor. Please teach her all you know. Spottedkit has chosen a different path. She will train as Jayfeather's apprentice until he has joined StarClan."

* * *

**Spottedkit: Hi, everyone! Please click the bright green button!!!**

**Willowkit: *yawn* Click it PLEASE!!!**

**Ripplekit: Yes! Please click it!!!!!**

**Splashkit: CLICK IT OR I"LL KILL YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!**

**Me (Spottedsky): No, Splashkit!!! Be NICE!!!!! Never mind him. He's going on time-out! PLEASE CLICK THE REVIEW BUTTON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  
**


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